1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension for use in motor vehicles, and more particularly to an improvement in a suspension of the McPherson type.
2. Prior Art
Suspensions of the McPherson type include a shock absorber serving as part of a suspension linkage system and a radius arm pivotably mounted on a vehicle body and supporting thereon a steering knuckle on which a wheel is rotatably supported, the shock absorber being interposed between the knuckle and the vehicle body. The radius arm is also connected to a lower arm which is connected to the vehicle body, the radius arm and the lower arm being mounted on the vehicle body through rubber bushings.
There has been known a torsion bar used as a spring means in the suspension of the above described McPherson type and acting on the lower arm. The conventional lower arm is rigid in fore-and-aft and vertical directions and hence causes the torsion bar to be subjected at its connecting end to a bending moment when the torsion bar moves to follow the lower arm, with the result that the connecting end of the torsion bar will be fatigued.
Another suspension of the McPherson type which has found usage includes a strut-type damper serving as part of a suspension linkage. The damper generally comprises in combination a hydraulic damping force generator and a coil spring, and is connected between the vehicle body and the knuckle which is supported on the vehicle body and supports the wheel. Generally, the damper has its lower end located above the axis of an axle. Where the damper has a relatively long effective stroke, it has a length which causes to an increased height of the vehicle body. With the damper located at a front wheel, the engine cover lies at a relatively high level, and with the damper located at a rear wheel, a portion housing an upper end of the damper projects upwardly into a rear body portion or trunk area.
Such an arrangement, therefore, fails to meet a demand to reduce the height of the vehicle body at the engine cover from an aerodynamic standpoint, so as to lessen the resistance of the vehicle body to air flow for improving driving performance and fuel economy. Such requirement could be met by lowering the lower end of the damper. However, where the front wheels are driven by a transverse drive shaft coupled to the front wheel axles, such an attempt would cause the lower end of the damper to interfere with the drive shaft, and hence the damper could not be lowered in position on front-wheel drive automobiles. Furthermore, with the damper lowered, the coil spring which is disposed in surrounding relation to the upper end of the damper would be positioned too closely to the associated wheel, and the clearance therebetween would become smaller than required.
The present invention effectively overcomes the foregoing problems attendant known automotive suspension systems.